It is common perception that dental procedures are painful and so dentists are evil. Many of you fear going to the dentist because of the pain you may have to endure during a procedure supposed to be carried out on you.

However, with the advances in the field of dentistry, the professionals have invented a cure that ensures patients don’t flinch in pain. It is known as sedation dentistry. Over the years sedation dentistry can be used for all kinds of dental procedures – be it complex or something as simple as routine tooth-cleaning.

Different kinds of dental procedures require different types of sedation. Mainly there are four sedation techniques used in sedation dentistry. First there is Inhaled-gas Sedation: in this the patient is made to inhale nitrous oxide – commonly famous as laughing gas – along with oxygen through a mask placed over the patient’s nose. The gas aids the patient to relax. The dentist has tabs on the amount of oxygen the patient receives. The effects of this gas disappear quickly after the procedure is over.

If the procedure is trivial and the patient needs to be sedated minimally, then dentists ask the patient to take a pill known as Halcion – a member of the Valium drug-family. The will render the patient feeling drowsy, but not unconscious. This pill is supposed to be consumed one-hour prior to the dental procedure. In case of severe oral procedures, dentists up the dosage of this form of anesthesia. Patients are like to experience grogginess and may even fall asleep. However, they can be awakened by a gentle shake, after the procedure is over. This kind of sedation dentistry is normally employed to carry out dental procedures.

Some patients are uncomfortable swallowing pills and prefer being poked instead. In this case, the sedative is injected into the vein, and it works faster, too. The one advantage of this kind of sedation dentistry is that the dentist is able to recurrently regulate the level of sedation while carrying out the dental procedure.

Anesthesia and Deep Sedation

In cases where the dental procedure to be carried out is invasive, patients are put to rest by giving them a dosage of general anesthesia. The dosages-level may render the patient to be almost or completely unconscious. In case of this kind of sedation dentistry, the patient cannot be awake until the effects of the general anesthesia go away.

Safe and Suits All

Sedation dentistry is usually a safe and risk-free procedure. However, patients are advised to ensure that the dentist in-charge is an experienced professional. While any dentist is permitted to administer minimal sedation, only dentists with advanced certification – known as oral and maxillofacial surgeons and dentist anesthesiologists – are allowed to administer deep sedation.

Sedation dentistry is a good remedy for patients who are not able to put up with pain. But in case patients suffer from severe sleep disorders – like obstructive sleep apnea – or obesity should have a word with the dentist and then only proceed further.

Please Call us 416.267.6789, our Scarborough Dentist Centre for any service you may need.